TV Love Stories We Want In Real Life

We love to immerse ourselves in the stories of star-crossed lovers. We get a kick out of the will-they-or-won't-they teases of a good on-screen friendship tinged with sexual attraction. When it comes down to it, however, those tales aren't exactly the way we'd like our own romantic lives to progress. What a relief, then, that there are also a handful of couples on our favorite TV shows that demonstrate what healthy, uncursed relationships look like.

Some of these pairs fell in love in high school — or even earlier (Hi, Cory and Topanga!) — and as young viewers, we too thought there would be a chance of meeting our one and only before college. Others saw their longtime friendships blossom into something more (and okay, maybe Lorelai and Luke took too long to realize as much). There are the coworkers who turned the spark of rivalry into mutual respect and folks from different walks of life who find they have a lifetime of lessons to learn from each other. Lately, we've also been drawn to watching the longtime marrieds (Coach and Tami Taylor 4-ever!) who have taught us that when you have the right partner, all sorts of daunting challenges are surmountable.

As much as we like to be wrecked by fictional heartbreak once in a while, we're going to take a minute to honor the matches we wouldn't mind emulating in real life.

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Ross and Rachel, FriendsFirst Ross (David Schwimmer) was crushing on Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and she didn't know; then she was crushing on him, and he was taken. They finally got together, only to go on a break ... with terrible (hilarious) consequences. The will-they-or-won't-they drama went on and on, as only an instant-classic sit-com could handle it. Did we ever doubt that they'd figure it all out by the very end? And beyond, we hope. And, beyond.

Photo: Courtesy of NBC.

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Jack & Kate, Lost

Kate was constantly flip-flopping with Jack, the do-gooder doctor, and Sawyer, the long-haired mischievous rogue. Looking back, it's clear Jack and Kate were the real dream team, even if we never know if they were actually together in "real life." What even is real life on Lost, anyway?

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Santana and Brittany, GleeWe watched these characters grow from stereotypical cheerleaders in the background to truly complex leads who could admit their love for each other wasn't the stuff of some pervy porn scenario. Santana's (Naya Rivera) mean-girl tendencies softened, Brittany's (Heather Morris) dumb-blonde shtick turned into hidden genius, and against so many odds, they tied the knot in the show's final season. We'll sing to Brittana forever.

Photo Courtesy of: FOX.

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Amy & Rory, Doctor Who

You wouldn't expect a goofy, kind nurse to be able to stand up to the flashy 11th Doctor (Matt Smith) in a battle for a girl's heart — and that's how we know Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) are a truly special match. Once Rory's allowed to come along on his girlfriend's adventures with the man everyone assumed was her imaginary friend, their relationship blossoms into the something that can save the world over and over again. Now, would we be able to wait 2,000 years for our true love to be recovered from a stasis after we kind of accidentally became a robot and shot her? Give us this kind of love and we'll test it out.

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Luke & June, The Handmaid's Tale

The fact that Luke and June's relationship is so loving, supportive, and believable makes the entire devastating premise of The Handmaid's Tale even harder to handle.

George Kraychyk

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Jim and Pam, The OfficeWatching Jim (John Krasinski) joke through his secret love for engaged administrative assistant Pam (Jenna Fischer) was our way of sublimating our own office crush. We were worried that when they finally got together, the magic would be gone. We should have had more faith — there's plenty of humor to be had in requited office love, too! If ever there's an Office: The Next Generation, though, we'd better find that Jim and Pam's kids are off in creatively fulfilling jobs, far from any paper distribution companies.

Photo: Courtesy of NBC.

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Crosby and Jasmine, ParenthoodA quick fling between Dax Shepard's Crosby and Joy Bryant's Jasmine resulted in them joining the show's titular club, though Crosby didn't even know about his son, Jabbar, for years. In lesser hands, their backward, on-and-off love story could have been a cliche, but here it felt real. As far as we're concerned, those vows they took in season 3 were meant to last long beyond this year's series finale.

Photo Courtesy of: NBC.

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Juliet and Sawyer, LostThere were hardly two more unlikely people to get together on the island than the shady con-man from Oceanic Flight 815 and the upstanding fertility researcher for the Others. Especially since it seemed like Sawyer (Josh Holloway) was finally going to win Kate (Evangeline Lilly) away from Jack (Matthew Fox), who was perfect for Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell). A few shifts in time later, however, and Sawyer and Juliet had built a pretty cozy, not-at-all fake life together in the Dharma Initiative. Whatever that ending really meant, it was at least clear that those two got to head into the afterlife together after all.

Photo: Courtesy of ABC.

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Dwayne and Whitley, A Different WorldOriginally, these were the cartoonish side characters in the story of Denise Huxtable's college life in the Cosby Show spinoff, but nerdy math whiz Dwayne (Kadeem Harrison) and perfect Southern belle Whitley (Jasmine Guy) grew on everyone, and eventually each other. As college romances do, they broke up for a while, and Whitley almost married a politician (as she once seemed destined to do). When last we saw them, however, Whitley and Dwayne were married, expecting a kid, and off to Japan for Dwayne's video game career. The nerds shall inherit the earth and the girl.

Photo: Courtesy of NBC.

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Asher & Michaela,How To Get Away With MurderSomehow these two bickered their way into one another's hearts and became the couple that made so much sense.

Photo: ABC

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Tyler & Jules, Sweet/ViciousSure, Jules (Eliza Bennett) technically killed Tyler's (Nick Fink) stepbrother. And yeah, she's been lying to him forever about her pursuit for vigilante justice against campus rapists. But the way he looks at her?! It makes you really want these crazy college kids to work it out.

Photo: MTV

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Riley & Lucas,Girl Meets WorldCory and Topanga made the list, so it's only fitting that their daughter Riley and her first crush Lucas made it as well. These two have been through a lot (including Riley's best friend having a thing for Lucas as well) but no matter what happens, they remain close friends who happen to also make a cute couple.

Photo: Disney Channel

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Stefan & Caroline,The Vampire DiariesFriends first, friends forever... how all great romances between vampires should be.

Photo: The CW

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Rob & Sharon, CatastropheSometimes your love story doesn't start the way you thought it would. Rob and Sharon didn't expect to fall in love after accidentally getting pregnant, but jumping in head first led to one wonderful and hilarious love.

Photo: Channel 4

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Hanna & Caleb, Pretty Little LiarsThe former high school sweethearts (who finally reunited in season 7!) is proof that true love can take a break, but never truly ends.

Photo: Freeform

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Rebecca & Jack, This Is UsThe ultimate mom and dad, and husband and wife. Jack and Rebecca know how to handle life's ups and downs: by having one another's back.

Photo: NBC

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Logan & Veronica, Veronica MarsThese Neptune residents were complicated, but always perfect for one another. The snarky duo (who finally reunited in the Veronica Mars movie, yay!) were always there to save the other when things got bad — as they often did in this modern noir universe.

Photo: Warner Bros.

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Chuck & Blair, Gossip GirlThe members of Manhattan's elite may be manipulative, class-obsessed schemers, but there's nothing these two wouldn't do for one another. These two are perfectly suited for one another not despite their flaws, but because of them.

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Connor & Oliver,How To Get Away With MurderThe drama is filled with jaw-dropping crimes and lots of legal jargon, but the one thing we can't get enough of are the scenes of Connor and Oliver snuggling in their apartment.

Photo: ABC

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Jimmy & Gretchen, You're The WorstBecause nobody's perfect, but this is what happens when you're imperfect together.

Photo: Courtesy of FX.

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Lucas & Peyton, One Tree HillBecause no matter what happened (a school shooting, high-risk pregnancy, multiple car accidents...) these two always found their way back to one another.

Photo: The CW

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Jessa & Adam, GirlsWe know, we know. They are FAR from perfect. But you have to admit: The first moment during season 5 when a Jessa-Adam union seemed possible (especially throughout that scene where he kept trying to sneakily kiss her, and she pretended she didn't want him to) was magical. We're happy to be along for the tumultuous ride.

Photo: Craig Blankenhorn/HBO.

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Philip & Elizabeth, The AmericansNo, we don't actually want to be Russian spies who have government-sanctioned marital affairs. But we do want to feel so close to someone that we never have to keep a secret from them. We want someone to know all the darkest, dirtiest things we've done and still desire us.

Photo: Patrick Harbron/FX.

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Felicity & Ben, FelicityAt first, we though Felicity (Keri Russell) was nuts for ditching her first-choice school and running off to college in New York to be with Ben (Scott Speedman) just because he wrote something nice in her yearbook. And for years, he didn't deserve her as much as sweet Noel (Scott Foley). In the end, however, his good nature won us over — along with a bit of random witchcraft — and we have to believe they'll both follow each other to the ends of the earth now.

Photo: Courtesy of The WB.

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Lafayette & James, True BloodAfter a possessed Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) unwittingly stabbed his previous boyfriend to death in his own home, the Merlotte's cook deserved something good in his life. It was odd that it had to come in the form of baby vamp Jessica's boyfriend, but that's just how things go in Bon Temps. Soulful '60s throwback James (Nathan Parsons) turned out to be one of the first men to appreciate Lafayette's insane style as well as his heart.

Photo Courtesy of: HBO.

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Glenn & Maggie, The Walking DeadImagine having so much love for someone that you will gladly let a madman named Negan — swinging a bat wrapped with barbed wire— brutalize your face so your partner can be spared? Yeah, that's what love is like in the zombie apocalypse.

Photo: Courtesy of AMC.

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Homer & Marge, The SimpsonsSure, Homer is not the ideal husband (is there even such a thing?) But one of his most redeeming qualities is the fact that he downright cherishes Marge. He would never hurt her. And she would never judge him for having yet another donut.

Photo: Courtesy of FOX.

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